A Trip to Wild Poland and the Primeval Forest

A Blog by Sara King, Rewilding Manager

Eastern Poland is not an obvious holiday destination. However, for someone interested in the potential for our natural areas in the UK, it is a must see. I visited the Bialoweiza Forest in January this year to explore what a truly functional forest looks, feels and sounds like.

A recent study?has found that the UK has some of the most depleted nature in the world. This horrifying fact is not something that surprises me – I have heard the UK referred to as a very large back garden in the way that it is managed, and the habitat that we have. Yet, the UK is one of the biggest followers of organisations such as Rewilding Europe. So, what is holding us back? Why can’t we look at European examples and be inspired by them, inspired enough to want to action change within our countryside?

Regular news articles tell of stories of pioneering wolves slowly reclaiming mainland Europe, and communities embracing them and living alongside these keystone species. Our habitats should not look or function much differently. My visit to the Bialoweiza Forest was booked because I wanted to undertake a pilgrimage to a forest which could one day be replicated in the UK, and to understand some of the ecological processes that we are desperately missing in the UK.

The trip consisted of treks through the pristine primeval forest, wading through knee deep snow drifts along abandoned railway lines in a hope to spot wolves, lynx, elk, bison, red deer, wild boar, owls and woodpeckers. Many species that should be in the UK, providing a key ecological function to our depleted ecosystems.

We learnt about the importance of bison, red and roe deer in browsing and grazing within the forest and on the woodland edge, the role of deadwood in affecting herbivore behaviour (herbivores avoid areas of fallen trees as they are more likely to be predated, therefore allowing these areas to naturally regenerate), and the impact an oak mast year was having on foraging behaviour. Woodpeckers swarm the forest, taking advantage of the standing deadwood and creating additional habitat for birds and small mammals. The roles of beavers in creating areas of wet woodland, and flood prevention. Within minutes of our first dawn wolf patrol, we were surrounded by pygmy owls.

But more important that the role these species were having on natural processes, we also learnt the way that people lived alongside their wildlife. Hay stacks were left on mass within farmers fields along the woodland edge to provide winter foraging for bison. Farmers are paid to allow bison to forage in these areas, as it is acknowledged that they are an important feature of the landscape. This is bringing this magnificent beast out of the forest and back into their optimal habitat – within glades and meadows outside of the forest. In fact, 2019 marks 90 years since bison were brought back from the brink in Poland.

Living with these animals is not without its challenges. Poland has been plagued with controversy for logging within the forest, which resulted in an EU ruling that this was illegal.?In addition, its wild boar populations are currently being culled due to the potential spread of African Swine Fever (similar to the UK TB badger culls), without any thoughts on how this might affect the ecosystem function and role in ecological processes that this keystone species plays.

Predators are a key perceived conflict, especially in the UK. We spent over 20 hours and several kilometres trying to find wolves and lynx on foot with no protection, and just a few people with binoculars and a lot of optimism and hope! We didn’t see any. There are three wolf packs that patrol the Bialowieza Forest, and despite our guides best efforts, we couldn’t find them (I’m sure the wolves knew we were there!). There are very few, if any, current conflicts between the wolves in the forest and the local people, but there is a lot of love within the village for the wolves and sightings of them get around the village fast! The forest is also currently managed as a wood source, and is surrounded by agricultural land. Storks are embraced and encouraged to nest on surrounding farmland, as they are believed to bring good luck. Platforms are installed, and can be seen in almost every farm, to encourage this species to nest there. There is no need to manage herbivore populations or establish the correct natural grazing density, as these elements of the ecosystem are self regulating.

One of the other elements to my trip that surprised me was the impact of the forest on my mental health. I have spoken several times about reconnecting people with nature, and thought that as a biodiversity specialist I already had a strong connection in this area. I was wrong. Standing in the forest at sunrise, knee deep in snow, searching for woodpeckers, owls, deer, and possibly the glint of a wolf’s eye, and only hearing the crack of trees echo around me as they freeze made me realise the connection that I was missing in the UK. The effect was immediate. Although we have some stunning natural areas in the UK, we cannot compare our depleted areas to true wild areas.

I already miss the forest and the effect that it had on me. I miss being able to walk through a forest, full of deadwood, and signs of predator/prey relationships, the sound of woodpeckers and cracking trees, the fresh air. But I am inspired and have learnt so much about what could be achieved in the UK. Maybe not in the next 10 years, but hopefully my generation will be the one that brings back the lynx, and the wolves, and the eagles and the boar…and maybe even a few more woodpeckers!?